The present invention relates generally to barbecue grills, and, more particularly, to a charcoal tray and cooking rack for use in a gas barbecue grill.
In the recent past, outdoor cooking has experienced tremendous growth. This is due in large part to the fact that barbecue grills, both charcoal and gas, have become much easier to use and more efficient at cooking a wide range of food items. Although both charcoal and gas barbecue grills have seen improvements in the recent years, the advantages of gas barbecue grills have been well recognized. Gas barbecue grills can quickly bring a heated surface to a desired temperature and may provide a high rate of heat exchange. Therefore, gas barbecue grills generally require less time to prepare food items than the charcoal grills. Gas barbecue grills allow for finer control of cooking temperatures than do charcoal barbecue grills. Even with these noted advantages, there are still those individuals who would prefer to cook using a charcoal barbecue grill.
Charcoal barbecue grills offer a number of advantages as well. For example, charcoal barbecue grills tend to be of simple construction, and therefore, tend to cost less than gas barbecue grills. As well, charcoal barbecue grills do not require an external fuel source, such as, a liquid propane tank. Although means do exist for determining the amount of propane in a tank, it is not uncommon to run out of fuel while preparing food items on a gas grill. Many individuals also prefer the flavor imparted to food items by cooking with charcoal briquettes. Similarly, charcoal barbecue grills allow individuals to use such items as wood chips to further flavor the food items they are preparing. Gas barbecue grills tend to cost more to operate than charcoal barbecue grills because the fuel source must be continually resupplied and items such as replacement burner elements must be purchased periodically to maintain proper operation of the gas barbecue grill.
The Krall patent, U.S. Pat. No. 6,173,644, issued Jan. 16, 2001, discloses an apparatus for converting a gas grill into a charcoal burning grill for conveniently using charcoal or other flammable material in a gas grill. The adapter includes an adapter container for holding flammable material and the adapter container is removably positionable in the interior of the housing. Once the adapter container is positioned in the housing, a screen that is removably supported by the housing is replaced such that the screen covers the adapter container. However, because the screen is supported by the housing, the height of the screen above the adapter container can not be easily adjusted.
Therefore, a need exists for improved barbecue grills that can function in both the gas and charcoal modes.
Embodiments of the present invention include an apparatus configured to permit the use of charcoal for cooking in a gas barbecue grill, the gas grill having a bottom casting containing a gas burner element, a cooking rack supported thereabove, and a top casting hingedly affixed thereto. The apparatus configured for use with a gas grill comprises a tray adapted to be received within the bottom casting, the tray including a pair of handles. Each of the handles includes a proximal end and a distal end. The handles are rotatably connected to the tray at the proximal ends and the distal ends are configured to support the cooking rack. The handles are rotatable between a stowed position and a support position, the stowed position allowing the cooking rack to be disposed on the bottom casting and the support position allowing the cooking rack to be supported by the distal ends of the handles.
Other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent to one with skill in the art upon examination of the following drawings and detailed description. It is intended that all such features and advantages be included herein within the scope of the present invention, as defined in the appended claims.